Alastair's Plaything
by ReluctantSlashFan
Summary: Dean and Sam investigate a couple of missing college kids. Hunt turns bad, Dean ends up in Alastair's clutches again.
1. Chapter 1

**This is me re-updating my stories. My page breaks disappeared and I put in new ones. So, I do not own no one recognizable and thanks for the patience.**

_**Supernatural**_

Bobby Singer could hear his phone ringing, almost like a banshee shirking at him. He growled as he got to his feet, knees popping in protest, and headed toward the phone. He had been researching the disappearances of three college kids, all missing from their spring break trip. Bobby suspected demon possession, figuring the three kids were in the wrong place at the wrong time. In fact, he had sent the Winchester boys after them. They were supposed to confirm his suspicions and then head back to decide what to do next. They were an hour over due. Knowing Dean, like Bobby did, he was probably confronting the demons head on.

"Stupid, boy," he muttered as he picked up his phone. "Hello…"

"Bobby," a familiar, panicked voice replied.

"Sam, what's going on?" he asked gripping the phone tighter to his ear. He was trying to keep calm but images of Dean, lying dead, kept flicking to his mind. What other reason would make Sam sound so freaked. Something must have happened to Dean.

"Bobby, we're in trouble. We really need…" Sam cut off. It sounded like the phone was wrenched out of his hand then a new voice said, "Hello, who is this please?" it was a girl's voice, she sounded like she was in her twenties. She could have been one of the missing college kids.

"Who is this?" she repeated. There was a cry of pain from the background, it almost sounded like Dean.

"You kill them, so help me God…"

"Your God is not going to help them. Besides, they're too cute to kill." There was an intake of breath; Bobby could only assume the demon did something to one of the brothers.

"Just let them go," Bobby begged. He couldn't tell her they've done nothing to her, the Winchesters had a reputation for killing anything evil that reared its ugly head. Demons were among the long list of things that hated them with a passion.

"I can't do that. You see I have a boss and he really wants the remaining Winchesters alive. I could make you a deal; I could spare one of them. I could tell my boss that one died under our care. I'll even let you choose. You choose and I'll leave him on your doorstep. I can't guarantee he won't be in any shape to walk on his own, but he'll be alive.

"Go on, _Bobby_ choose. Dean or Sam? Sam or Dean?" Bobby couldn't choose. Both boys were like the sons he never had. He couldn't let one live while the other one was given to some strange demon.

"Fine, I'll choose," the girl said and hung up. Bobby was still gripping the phone, his hand shaking with the force. Slowly he hung it up and rushed to the door. He looked out the window seeing no one. He wasn't expecting the demon to hold up her end of the bargain.

Letting out a growl, he headed toward his extensive amounts of books, planning to start researching possible escaped demons, when he heard a thump on his porch. He rushed back to the door pulling it open.

Sam was lying on his back, blood pouring out of a head wound. He was holding his arm, the appendage at an odd angle. He was trying to stay conscious, which made Bobby proud of him. The older hunter crouched down and helped the younger hunter up. Half dragging, half carrying the younger guy he brought Sam into the house, lowering him onto the couch.

He rushed into his bathroom, grabbed his first aid kit, and rushed back into the living room. Sam was still holding his arm, staring at the floor. He looked so young and scared then that Bobby flashed back to when he was six or seven, when he used to always be full of worry when his dad didn't come back for weeks on end. Dean had been the one to tell him not to worry, that Dad would be back when he was done with a hunt. Dean was like Sam's anchor. Just thinking of Dean was like a stab to Bobby's heart. He would not be responsible for John's oldest boy's second death.

"Hey, let me check out that cut," Bobby suggested crossing the room. He sat next to Sam, who was still staring at the floor. He touched the younger Winchester's shoulder, hoping to get a response, but he only felt how much Sam was trembling.

"We'll find him, Sam, don't worry. Dean is not lost; we won't lose him again. Besides, if Castiel is right, and the man upstairs needs him, then they'll help." Bobby really didn't believe his own words. The angels never really helped the boys before; why would they start now?

_**SUPERNATURAL**_

Dean woke up to familiar laughter, he knew that laugh anywhere; heard the laugh for thirty years before agreeing to its owner's request. He opened his eyes to see Alastair looking directly at him. He was in the body of an older guy (probably in his fifties); he was probably a decent working man before Alastair literally entered his life. He could have been a banker or a farmer. Maybe an accountant. Dean didn't know, nor did he want to dwell on it; he was more concerned with trying not to panic.

"Alastair," he muttered. His hands and feet were chained to a wall, keeping him pretty much at Alastair's mercy. He didn't even try to get free; he didn't need any more bleeding wounds. He was banged up as it was, having been tossed around by Alastair's lackeys, which happened to be the missing college students.

"Dean, it's been a while. Since my hunt for Anna, I think. It sucks that she got away, but not before you hooked up with her." Dean was taken back to that night, in the backseat of his car. The night before Anna went back to the angels.

"I'm surprised God didn't smite you down for banging one of his solders; even if she was the 'black-sheep' of his army." Dean didn't even try to determine how Alastair knew any of this; Demon's had their own way of knowing things. The demonic grapevine was like a long, accurate game of telephone.

"It's too bad little Sammy got away, I could have had a set," Alastair continued walking away from Dean. He headed out of Dean's line of vision, but still continued to talk, "Oh, well, you'll do just nicely." He reappeared holding a long, sharp knife. The lone light bulb like a spot light on the beginning of Dean's pain; except he wouldn't be able to wake up from this nightmare.

"I'm not going to kill you, Dean," Alastair said calmly running the knife down Dean's face. "No, you'll either go to heaven or get yanked out of hell, again. I did not see the angels doing that, no I did not. Of course, where are they now? They aren't here." Dean flinched when the knife nicked his cheek. He felt blood slowly slide down his face from the new cut.

"Opps," Alastair muttered pulling the knife back. Dean could see his blood dripping onto the concrete floor. "But I can't promise I won't cause as much pain as possible.

"Too bad you aren't a demon," Alastair commented as he walked out of Dean's line of vision again, to what Dean could only assume was a table of weapons.

"Why?" he asked breaking his long silence. He put the famous Winchester mask into place, holding back his fear and anger.

"Then I wouldn't have to do this." Alastair was back, holding a red hot piece of iron. Smiling his evil, yellow smile he put the poker to Dean's tee-shirt, burning a hole in the fabric to the hunter's flesh. Dean held in a scream as the poker seared him. It was all he needed, to show weakness in front of his old, _what to call him_, "boss."

"Ah, Deano, I thought you'd at least scream for me," Alastair said pulling the poker away. Eyes streaming, Dean looked directly into Alastair's victim's brown eyes and said, "Wouldn't give you the satisfaction."

"I'll make you, Dean. I did before and I'll do it again," Alastair promised pressing the poker to Dean's flesh again. He still wouldn't scream, but he didn't know how long he could hold on. _Sam, if you are out there, hurry_.

_**SUPERNATURAL**_

Sam had a very high tolerance for pain, it came with the Winchester blood, but when Bobby snapped his arm back into place he let out a single cry of pain. Bobby said something, probably about how everything would be okay. Sam didn't take anything in, he was still trying to block out the images of watching his brother get thrown around like a ragdoll. Those demons weren't too touchy about what they did to Dean. It was almost like their boss didn't care how hurt Dean was as long as he had him. _But why didn't they take me? Why am I here, safe at Bobby's, while my brother is stuck at the mercy of some demon?_

_ "_Are you okay?" Bobby asked worriedly. His voice brought Sam crashing back to earth, the pain in his arm hitting him hard. Bobby had made him a makeshift sling out of an old pillowcase and offered it to him.

"Why am I here, Bobby," Sam asked ignoring the sling. "Why am I here and Dean is gone? Why would that demon want him and not take me?" Sam saw something in Bobby's eyes; something the older hunter tried to hide, but failed to do. "What did you do?"

"The demon, one of the girls, made me an offer. She gave me a choice between you or your brother…"

"And you chose me…"

"No, I didn't choose either one of you. She chose for me and she chose you. Obviously her boss wanted Dean more than he wanted you."

"There's only one demon I can think of that would want Dean. One demon, besides Lilith, who would be happy to see him back in hell…"

"Alastair," Bobby finished for Sam.

"Exactly," Sam muttered. "He had his lackeys possess those kids so he could get to Dean. He knew Dean wouldn't let them stay possessed. I should have done something…"

"You're not talking about that freaky hoodoo crap are you? Of all the things to use to get Dean back, I don't think that will be the best choice."

"Bobby, just let me decide. If it'll get Dean back, then it is our best choice."

"I think we should think up a better plan. Any other plan besides your… _powers_. We don't want to do something that could get Dean killed. We need to strategize; we need to come up with a fool proof plan. Which means no demonic hoodoo unless we need it: a last resort."

"Fine," Sam replied breaking. There was no point in arguing, plus he didn't want to. What he wanted was his brother, standing beside him, making stupid jokes about random crap. What he wanted was to just hear Dean's voice.

The phone rang, making the two hunters jump. Sam answered it first, the phone closer to him. "Hello?"

"I knew you weren't dead." the voice may have been different, but the malevolent tone was just the same. Sam had been right, Alastair did have his brother.

"Where's Dean," he hissed ignoring his shaking hand.

"He's here, Sam. Sleeping off a round of torture. He's alive, Sammy, don't worry. I wouldn't dream of killing him; not yet anyway."

"Let him go," Sam said softly, knowing if he spoke any louder his voice would crack.

"No, I don't think so. You see, I want to kill his angel. Castiel, that's his name right? The one who pulled him out of hell. It'd be great to kill Anna, too, but the last time I checked she's among the angels again. I'm rather disappointed about that, the look on your brother's face would be so priceless if he could watch her die."

"Only angels can kill angels, Alastair."

"Yeah, but Lucifer, as you know, is an angel. A fallen one, but still an angel. When he rises, and he will, he'll make sure Castiel, Anna, and all of the others angels are killed."

"So, you plan to kidnap Cass? Hold him against his will and hope the other angels don't come after him. I mean, they probably will. Plus, the man upstairs wanted Dean out of your clutches, and if he needed him so much he'll find a way to get him away from you again."

"They can try," Alastair muttered and the phone went dead. It took all of Sam's self-control not to whip Bobby's cordless out a window. He set it down, his hands shaking, and sank into a chair.

"Alastair?" Bobby asked paler than before. Sam merely nodded as he buried his face in his hands.

"Self-pity won't bring your brother back," a familiar voice said causing both Bobby and Sam to jump. They both looked over to see the ever popular solemn expression of Castiel. He was still wearing his vessel, a black haired, blue eyed man with a tan trench coat, shirt, tie, dress slacks; a real average Joe who prayed to be a vessel. _Prayed to be some angel's bitch_, Sam almost heard Dean say.

"Where is he, Cass?" Sam asked immediately getting to his feet. He didn't want to sound so desperate, but it was his brother. _Sue me for sounding weak._

"That I do not know nor am I instructed to go after him," Castiel replied in his famous emotionless voice. _It must _kill_ him that Dean is in captivity_, Sam thought bitterly.

"Why," Bobby questioned joining the conversing guys. He looked seriously pissed, almost as if his only plan had been flattened. As if he only thought Castiel could get Dean back. _We don't need him to get my brother back._

"My superiors know what Alastair has planned for me; they don't want him to kill me. They, however, don't want Dean killed either. They plan to send down another angel, his name's Joshua…"

"Another angel, well that's just perfect. Yeah, while Dean's dying we have to rely on another angel. Why can't you go, Dean trusts you. I doubt he'll trust some other angel." Sam wasn't sure what Dean would or would not trust; a lot had changed since he returned from hell, between both of them.

"I cannot go; I have been instructed to stand down…"

"And for good reason, Castiel," a new voice said and a second person appeared. He was taller than Sam, the first thing anyone noticed. His hair was dark red, his eyes an emerald green, and he was paler than a ghost. He could have been a computer geek before he became a vessel; he even wore the glasses. Sam could only figure they were for show, angels didn't seem like they needed to improve their vision at all.

"So, we gonna find your brother or not?" Joshua asked curiously. Sam and Bobby exchanged incredulous looks then both shrugged. "Then let's get to work."


	2. Chapter 2

**Sadly, I own no one remotely Supernatural related. Oh, well.**

_**Supernatural**_

His vision was blurry when he woke up again. At first he thought he was in hell again, was almost convinced that he heard screaming from the others "inmates", until reasoning caught up with him and he remembered Cass had pulled him out. His vision cleared to reveal a small, dirty room. He was lying on a cot, his hands and feet no longer chained. Slowly he sat up, but several searing pains made him lie back down.

Lifting only his head, which felt like it was in a vice, he looked at the newly made burn marks all over his body. They were red, puffy, and warm to the touch. Ignoring the pain, not wanting to give the demons the satisfaction of seeing him weak, he sat up again. He swung his legs off the cot, getting unsteadily to his feet.

The room spun for a second then everything went still. Dean looked around for any windows, a door, any way to get out. There was one door, a big metal door that Dean had no chance of breaking through.

"Sucks to be stuck again, doesn't it," a female voice said and he was flung across the room. He landed against the wall, stuck like a smashed fly. He looked over at a female, standing by his cot. He had only ever seen her once before, down in the inferno, but he knew her name like he knew his own.

"Ava," he murmured and she walked toward him. She hadn't had the body she wore when he met her, but whoever she was possessing was very pretty. She had long, curly brown hair that bounced when she moved. Her eyes were gray; they reminded Dean of a storm. In any other situation he would have hit on her, but now wasn't the time.

"Glad to see you remembered, Dean," she said stopping a few inches from him. "Alastair had to go out for a few, but he said I could play with you for a little bit." Dean remembered all right, he remembered how psychotic Ava got when she was torturing someone. She only tortured him once, but it was enough to keep her etched into his mind forever. "You know, Dean, I watched you down in hell. I watched you cut into those people… You did it with such grace. I could tell you enjoyed it." She was mere centimeters from his face, he could smell her scent. He kept concentrating on the sweet smell, not allowing himself to hyperventilate. He didn't want to be taken back there; he didn't want to be forced to remember. He may have opened up to Sam, but he was not about to discuss his stint in Hell with Ava.

"I've always liked you, Dean. You realize we could have been great together, you and me. We could have sliced and diced like a team. I would have been a co-worker that came with _fringe_ benefits." She leaned in, breaking the little space they had, and kissed him softly on the lips. He tried to break away, but was still stuck to the wall by her power.

"Aw, come on Dean," Ava said pulling away. "You aren't making this fun if you don't play along."

"Sorry, your breath just really got to me. It's like sticking my head in a garbage can of shit." He knew he shouldn't have said it, knew he was going to pay, but the opportunity was too good to pass up.

Smirking, the smile practically screaming how much trouble he was in, Ava raised her hand and sent Dean slamming into the cot. He bounced off the mattress, landing on the floor. He tried to get up, but Ava was too fast. She used her boot to turn him over, so he was looking up at her. She placed her foot on his chest, grinding the heel into one of his burn marks.

"Being rude will not be tolerated, Dean," she said and dug deeper. He kept his mouth closed, but he wasn't sure how long he could hold in the scream. Before he could crack, she took her foot off the wound. She walked around his body, stopping and crouching next to his head. "I like you Dean, I really do, but you aren't a fun date." She stood up, looking down at him. "And you got blood on my boot." She wiped the heel on his tee-shirt, taking great care to nick one of his burn marks. He held in a whimper, knowing his bravura would be useless when Ava got done with him.

"Let's make this date more fun," Ava said and Dean was pulled to his feet and thrown into a wall again. He was stuck again, the whole ordeal becoming an annoying array of déjà vu. "Let's see…" Ava reached into the back pocket of her jeans and pulled out a knife. _Do they all carry frigging knives_, Dean couldn't help thinking.

"What should I cut…" she walked toward him, the knife dangling in her hand. She stopped a good half dozen inches from Dean. "I could cut here…" she lifted the knife so it rested directly on his ear. "No, too simple. How's about here…" she stopped at his right cheek, the left one already cut up from Alastair. "No, it'll ruin your handsome face." She let the knife glide down his face and chest, resting it near his groin. "How's about here," she asked smiling at his wide eyed expression.

Before she could do anything a familiar voice said, "Ava, let's not torment the poor boy." Alastair stood in the doorway, arms across his chest, watching them with an almost respectful look in his brown eyes.

"Yes, father," she muttered stepping away from Dean. She stored her knife back in her back pocket, and crossed her arms to match Alastair's.

"Let him go," Alastair demanded quietly, his voice kinder than normal. It made Dean suddenly nervous; Alastair was only kind when he was ready to deliver real pain. Ava pouted slightly, but Dean was able to move on his own. "Now, be a good girl and leave us." Ava nodded, still pouting, and walked out of the room. She gave Dean one more look of longing before she closed the door.

"Takes after her mom," Alastair commented still staring at Dean. Instead of replying Dean just glared at Alastair. "You know some people are actually kind enough to respond when other people talk to them."

"Yeah, well I don't exactly classify you as people. The only thing that could ever possibly classify you as a person is that body you inhabit."

"Oh, Dean, you hurt me deep," Alastair said softly putting his hand to his heart. "Is that anyway to talk to an old friend?"

"Old friend my ass," Dean muttered darkly.

"You were my prized student, Dean. You could have been the next me, could have taken my place when I 'retired.' But you were pulled out of hell. Another couple of years and I could have made you one of us with no problem."

Dean couldn't look at Alastair anymore. It was like looking at a future he could have had, a scary, demented, freakish future. Keeping his eyes locked on the floor, he said, "I am glad the angels pulled me out. They helped me from going blind at seeing your face everyday."

"You sarcasm kills me Dean," Alastair commented as Dean found himself pinned against the wall for the third time, "it honestly does." He walked toward the defenseless hunter, getting in his face. He placed his hand on Dean's face, lifting his head so their eyes met. "I don't like it when my guests are not grateful. Keep up your smart mouthing and I'll cut your tongue out. Try talking without one of those." Alastair pushed Dean's head away and pulled back turning his back to leave the room.

"Dean, one more thing," he said turning back to look at the stunned hunter. He didn't even notice that Alastair had lifted the force that held him to the wall. "If you're ever rude to my daughter again, I'll pull each and everyone of your teeth out." and with those words ringing in the air, Alastair opened the door and walked out of the room.

Shaking uncontrollably, actually wishing he was back at Bobby's with Sam, on the verge of calling Castiel to help him, Dean slid to the floor.

_**SUPERNATURAL**_

Sam was not too fond of Joshua for two reasons: one he had no freaking plan other than sit there and wait for his 'superiors' to contact them. Two, well Dean would have wanted to shove his head trough a wall. Dean hated to wait, he was very impatient, and if Sam were caught and he was stuck waiting for Joshua's bosses to make a fucking decisions he would have went crazy.

Instead of pulling a major Dean Winchester and taking his chances with attacking the angel, Sam hid himself in one of Bobby's many rooms, sitting against the wall with a knife. He kept tossing it up in the ceiling, catching it as it fell back down.

"I know you must be frustrated," a familiar voice said from the doorway. Cass was watching him, his hands in his pockets.

"You have no idea," Sam muttered throwing the knife in the ceiling again. It fell back at him; he caught the hilt with a hunter's grace. He didn't even cut his hand, that's how skilled he was. John Winchester was a good teacher.

"Don't I?" Castiel crossed the room, sitting on the bed.

"If you were as frustrated as I am you'd be ready to help me go after Dean. We could make the trip in like ten minutes. You have some freaking teleporting power, right?" Sam threw the knife at the ceiling again. Before he could catch it, Castiel was on his feet the knife in his hand.

"This is a dangerous way to vent your anger," he said calmly, in his emotionless voice, and the knife was gone. "I am not allowed to go after your brother." He sat back on the bed, eyes actually weary. _First freaking emotion he's shown all day_, Sam thought bitterly.

"Yeah, you've said that already," Sam muttered pulling his knees to his chest.

"I am only following orders," Castiel said sliding off the bed and onto the floor. "If I had a choice I would go after him, too."

"I bet," Sam said skeptically.

"It's hard to pull someone out of hell and not share a bond. Your brother may be a stubborn person, may anger many people (my superiors included), but he does not deserve the fate he's been dealt. Alastair may not kill him today, but soon Dean will end up dead. And, between you and me, I don't think waiting will help us at all. If I wasn't about to get in trouble for doing it or if I knew where he was, I'd transport you and Bobby to Dean. But that is not possible. They are blocking his location from me."

"Why?" Sam asked trying to hold back his anger. He didn't want to piss off the angels by attacking Castiel.

"They believe that I have gotten too close to my charge. That I have an emotional attachment to Dean." _Ironic much,_ Sam thought thinking about how unemotional Castiel was all the time. "They believe I feel responsible for your brother.

"They believe, or you believe?"

"They believe until I say otherwise," Cass muttered and Sam realized the angel attempted sarcasm. It was a joke worthy of his older brother, something along the lines of what Dean would say. _His attitude rubs off on everyone, including the angels._

"Look, I've worked with Joshua before. He's someone you can trust. Just hold on a bit longer and then we'll go after Dean." Castiel got to his feet heading toward the door.

"Wait, why is Joshua the one to help? Why not Uriel?"

"Because Joshua knows Alastair a little better than Uriel," Cass muttered his hand on the doorknob.

"What do you…?"

"He's Alastair's son," Cass replied softly and walked out of the room.


	3. Chapter 3

**Are they mine? Can you hear me laughing? I wish.**

Ruby recognized the car the moment she drove by. It was a midnight black Impala she and Anna had ridden in. She remembered a pair of green eyes looking at her and the red headed angel, a deep voice saying, _"It's just an angel and a demon riding in the backseat. It's like the setup to a bad joke. Or a penthouse forum letter."_ Slamming on her brakes, her car squealed to a halt.

She watched the Impala, waiting for the Winchesters to appear. She knew for a fact that Dean couldn't dare part with the vehicle longer than he had to. She waited for twenty minutes before pulling her vehicle off the road. She kept the car idling, there was no point in shutting it off. It technically wasn't hers-she needed a vehicle, some _moron_ left his 2008 Mustang unlocked, she stole it.

Walking across the street, looking both ways for oncoming traffic (the vehicles wouldn't kill her, but if one hit her it would hurt like hell), she stopped next to the Impala. Ruby placed her hand on the hood, noticing how cool it was to the touch.

She couldn't quite determine how long it had been since it was last driven, probably a good three or four hours, but she knew one thing: _The Winchesters were in trouble, again_. She walked away from the car, heading into a stretch of woods. Not far down the dirt path was a small shack. The door looked like it had been kicked in, _probably Dean's work._ Ruby continued toward the door, wishing now more than ever she had her knife that Sam had conveniently "borrowed" and lost.

She poked her head into the small shack, looking around the wrecked interior. It probably wasn't in good shape to begin with, but the Winchesters hadn't helped matters much. Ruby walked into the small, singled room shack, expecting to see a couple of unconscious, yet no longer possessed people, but instead found an inhabit-less area. There was a familiar cell phone laying, discarded, by a fireplace (that hadn't been used in what seemed like forever). She picked it up, scrolling through the contacts list, Dean's number was the first on the list.

"Sam, where are you?" she muttered looking at the phone. In that moment of weakness, the one rookie mistake she could have made by keeping her back to the door, she didn't hear the footsteps behind her. Never having time, or the warning, to fight she was succumbed to darkness as something heavy collided with the back of her skull.

When she woke up it was to see a familiar face staring at her. She didn't want to see his green eyes, she didn't want to see his ruggedly handsome face, hell she didn't want to see him at all, but Dean Winchester's face was the one she was stuck with.

"If you were attempting to get me out of here, you suck," he commented trying to insult her. It didn't work real well, his voice unmistakably shaking.

"Shut up," Ruby snapped sitting up. Her head spun slightly, the dizziness making her momentarily ill, then it passed. She had been lying on a cot, in the middle of a dully lit, windowless room. Dean had backed away from her, sliding to the floor. He looked paler than normal, a tad less focused. He had bright red burn marks on his chest, visible through his holey gray tee-shirt. There was blood in his hair, he had a black eye, and looked a little strange without his shaggy haired brother next to him.

"Where's Sam?" was the first thing Ruby asked.

"Not here," Dean answered in a monotone.

"Where are we?" the second thing.

"No idea." The same monotone answered.

"Who has us?" Deep down she already knew, but she wasn't sure. It would suck if he did have them; their last encounter wasn't exactly Ruby's favorite memory.

"Alastair," Dean replied quietly. He had his eyes permanently glued to the floor. It had to be killing him to be back in the clutches of the demon that had made hell the living hell that it was. _Boy that didn't make much sense_, Ruby thought. It didn't feel quite right to be sympathizing with Dean-truth be told she didn't really like Dean much, but she did feel some pity for him.

"He didn't kill Sam, did he?" Ruby needed to know where Sam was. He was the only Winchester who didn't flinch at the sight of her. Of course, it was against him and Dean and Dean had been raised to take out anything evil.

"Why do you care?" Dean's eyes shot up, staring daggers at Ruby. She put her hands up in surrender and mumbled, "I don't, but I was thinking you might." It was a lie, a small one, but why did Dean need to know.

Before Dean could say or do anything the door opened and a demon walked in. He was a huge guy, maybe in his thirties, and could have crushed anyone just by gripping them too tightly. Ruby hated the demons that had to show "major authority" by possessing body builders. Without even looking at Ruby he sent her flying into the wall. She was pinned, unable to move. She watched as the demon grabbed Dean by the arm and yanked him to his feet.

"Ava wants to see you," he said and half pulled, half dragged a resistant Dean out of the room. Not much it did the hunter; he just wasn't as strong as his captor. When the door closed Ruby was able to move again. She ran toward the door, trying to open it. The thing was two-hundred pounds of solid metal; there was no way she was getting out of it. She could try to get someone's attention and use her powers, but what good would it do if Alastair appeared and killed her.

_Okay Sam, if ever a time to come for your brother, now would be a great time_, she thought as she walked away from the door, sinking down onto the cot's mattress. For now she just had to wait, and hope no demon decided to cut her open again. _Yeah, I doubt they'll forget me. Sam hurry_.

_**SUPERNATURAL**_

The oversized meathead, or Dean's escort, chained him to the wall again. The chains clinked softly as he moved his wrist.

"Don't move," the demon said and walked out of the room. It was on of those times he actually wished he carried a paperclip or something similar. He could have been out of the chains in seconds, and possibly out the door. _Oh, who are you kidding_, a small voice said in the back of his mind,_ you wouldn't make it out of here even if there were signs pointing the way out._

_Stop it_, he snapped back.

_Why? Are you too scared to face the fact? Do you honestly think Sam will find you without getting killed himself?_

"Shut up," he muttered to the voice. It was the same voice that he had heard everyday in hell. The same voice that sapped up all his hope and finally made him agree to Alastair's offer. Before he could dwell on it anymore the door opened.

Ava had not only changed her jeans and black blouse for a short, red, strapless dress and knee high leather boots, but also her skin. No longer the brunette, she was now a short, perky blond. She had put the blonde's hair up in a pony tail that fell down her back. The blonde's blue eyes swept across Dean's body.

"I thought I'd dress up for this occasion," she said softly, still looking Dean over.

"And the blonde was necessary," Dean muttered glad to hear his voice wasn't trembling. It was bad enough to show weakness in front of Ruby, but in front of Ava was not an option.

"I thought you'd like a blonde. Besides, blondes have more fun," Ava said with a slight shrug. She drifted toward Dean, her ponytail swishing back and forth as she walked, her boots clicking on the cement floor.

"I wouldn't say that, some blondes are just too stupid to have fun." He regretted saying the sentence the moment he said it. It wasn't because he insulted Ava, Alastair's words ringing in his ear, but because his mother was a blonde. He felt like he was insulting her and not the blonde, bimbo demon in front of him.

Ava didn't see the regret on his face, years of hiding his emotions helped Dean out, so she took his sentence as an insult. She slammed her fist into his face, splitting his lip. Blood ran out of the wound, onto his chin. Dean ignored it, knowing he had had worse.

"That was mean Winchester, very mean. Now, I was supposed to pull your teeth for being mean… I have the tool right here." she walked away from Dean, out of his line of sight, to the table Alastair had used earlier. She returned seconds later carrying a pair of pliers.

"Now, I could just as easily let your rudeness slip if you do something for me," Ava said softly stroking the pliers. She had cocked her head, giving Dean a questioning look.

"What's that?" Dean asked trying to keep his eyes off the pliers. They were a standard tool, something he used himself; he didn't want to think how much damage they could do.

"Beg."

"What?"

"Beg. Beg for me to _not_ harm you, and I'll let your rudeness slide. Beg and we can continue our date without losing a tooth. What do you say, Dean?"

"No," he said quietly. He was not about to throw all his dignity away for some demon. If she had to take his teeth, than take his teeth. He wanted so much to believe he didn't care, that he was as stubborn as everyone said he was, but when Ava drew near him something snapped. She was inches from his mouth, the pliers almost touching his teeth, when he realized he couldn't do it. "No, wait stop," he begged. "D…don't, please don't."

"Are you begging Dean?"

"Y…yes, I'm begging, please don't." it was humiliating, it was wrong, what he had resorted to. His father would have ripped him a new one, Sam would have called him a coward, but he didn't want Ava to follow Alastair's orders. He just couldn't take the pain of having all thirty-two teeth yanked out, he wouldn't survive it.

"Okay, I forgive you," she said pulling the pliers away. She stepped away from him, walking back to the weapons table. Even out of sight she still spoke, "Let's get this date going. I was thinking we'd start out by cutting you, very slowly, down your arms." She was back, carrying the same knife Alastair used on him before. His blood was still on the knife, dry but still there.

"Doesn't that sound fun," Ava whispered as she ever so gently sliced open Dean's arm. Blood slowly dripped from the new wound, Dean made no noise. "After that," Ava continued cutting him again, "we'll see where the night takes us." She continued to slice his arms, the wounds never fatal, but still deep enough to drip blood. When there were exactly thirteen perfectly, parallel cuts on both arms Ava said, "I think that's plenty." Dean waited for her to take the knife back to the table, but instead she plunged it into his thigh, straight to the bone. He couldn't help it, he cried out in pain, "SON OF A BITCH!"

"That's my boy," Ava muttered walking away from him. She was back at her table, which gave Dean enough time to mumble more swear words. He could feel his blood leaking out of the wound, knew it would pour if-and when-Ava pulled the knife out.

He shut up when she returned her hands behind her back. She was wearing a solemn expression, almost like she was about to regret her next move. "Now, Dean, I'm happy you screamed. It was like music to my ears, but we have a zero tolerance swearing rule. So, I'm going to have to punish you." she reacted so fast Dean barely saw it coming. She pulled her hands back into focus, a hammer in the left one, and slammed the tool directly into Dean's chained wrist. His wrist broke on impact, causing him to scream again.

"Sorry, Dean, but I had to," Ava said sadly walking back to the table. There were tears of pain in Dean's eyes; they slowly fell down his face. He didn't know how much more he could take. His vision blurred slightly with the pain, but he managed to stay conscious.

"Isn't this a fun date," Ava commented appearing in his line of vision again. Her hands were empty, which made Dean breathe a sigh of relief. Anymore of her company could kill him. "I need this," she said softly and yanked the knife out of his leg. White hot pain pulsed through his veins, causing his vision to blur again. Instead of struggling to stay conscious he let blackness overwhelm him and he was out.


	4. Chapter 4

**Still not mine…**

_**Supernatural**_

Sam must have fallen asleep because the next thing he was aware of was raised voices coming from Bobby's living room. He sat up, his back and neck stiff from sleeping on the floor, and got to his feet. He stumbled out of the room, quickly rushing down the stairs. He stopped when he spotted Castiel and Joshua feet apart, in the middle of a heated argument. Bobby lay on the floor at Cass's feet, seemingly unconscious. A red headed woman, someone Sam hadn't seen in a while, stood directly behind Cass, watching the fight.

"What the hell's going on?" Sam asked breaking off the angels' argument. Joshua merely swept past him, leaving the room, the front door slamming behind him. Sam didn't bother watching him leave; his eyes were still glued on Castiel and Anna. Bobby was slowly coming to, grumbling swear words.

"What the hell's going on?" Sam repeated slowly, looking back and forth between the two angels. Anna turned to him saying, "He got news on Dean," she said softly.

"Anna," Cass said in a warning tone.

"Don't Cass, he has a right to know," Anna snapped not looking at the black haired angel.

"What's the news?" Sam asked close to losing his patients.

"Sam, they said that the seals are their number one priority that they'll get to Dean sooner or later…" Castiel started.

"So, they're just going to leave him with Alastair, let him get killed, so they can protect a bunch of frigging seals that they haven't exactly been able to keep from breaking? What's the fucking point of pulling my brother out of hell, asking for his help, if they are going to just let him go back?"

"Sam calm down," Anna said quietly.

"No, I'm done being calm. I'm going after my brother, with or without your help," Sam spat heading toward the door.

"Boy, where are you going?" Bobby called scrambling to his feet.

"To get the Impala, I'm going to need weapons." The young hunter opened the door, heading outside. Before he could close the door, someone grabbed it. He turned around to see Bobby and Anna following him.

"We're coming with you. Cass can hold the fort," Anna said softly. Sam really didn't want her to go with them, he still felt protective of the human she had been, but he knew he couldn't stop her. So he nodded and they followed him down the porch steps.

"We'll take my truck," Bobby said closing the door. Sam headed toward the tow truck, remembering when Bobby had used it to move Dean's precious Impala from the impound. It had been in pieces then. _"Dean's gonna be pissed_…"

"Okay, Sam, I understand you want to go after Dean, but how the hell do you plan to do that when we don't even know where he's being held?" Bobby asked heading toward the driver side of his truck.

"I don't…"

"I can help you out," a familiar voice said. They spun around to see Joshua standing a few feet from the tow.

"What?" Anna, Sam, and Bobby said simultaneously.

"I'm willing to help you guys, but we have to be quick about it. Go get your brother's car and get back here fast. Do I make myself clear?" Joshua eyes swept from Anna to Sam to Bobby. They all nodded and piled into the tow truck. Bobby started it and tore out of the junkyard, almost like a bat out of hell.

"Okay, you need to tell me where the Impala is," Bobby said as they drove down the highway. Trees and grass flew by as he drove. Sam gave him the direction, with the help of landmarks, and they ended up at the Impala in ten minutes. There was a mustang, sputtering from the lack of gas, sitting a few yards away from the car.

"Whose is that?" Bobby asked eyeing the care cautiously.

"Who cares, we have to help Dean," Sam said getting out of the truck before it could completely stop. He headed toward Dean's Impala, remembering that his brother had the keys, and got behind the wheel.

John had taught his kids many things, legal and/or otherwise, and hotwiring was the first on the list. Sam had been exceptionally better at it than Dean-who had been better at handling weapons, picking up girls, and otherwise pissing people off-so hotwiring the Impala was nothing. Stealing cars never felt right, ever, but to hotwire the Impala felt like blasphemy. It also made Sam's heart clench when he realized how much shit he'd be in if Dean ever found out. _He'd kill me_, Sam thought sadly. _"If you screwed up my car; I'll kill you._" the words were like a dagger to Sam's already aching heart.

"Ready to go," Anna asked getting in the passenger seat.

"Yeah," Sam said putting the car in drive. Bobby did a clearly illegal U-turn, and sped down the road. Sam followed him, keeping up with no problem.

"That car was stolen," Anna commented looking out the window.

"What?"

"That car, the one you didn't want to bother with, it was stolen."

"How do you know this?"

"I just do. And I think I know who stole it?"

"Who?"

"Ruby," was all Anna said. Before Sam could respond they had pulled into Bobby's driveway. The "Singer Salvage Yard" sign flew by them. Bobby was already walking toward his house when Sam and Anna got out of the Impala.

"What do you mean Ruby?"

"I just have a feeling it's her," Anna replied softly. She was more distracted than normal, looking at the Singer abode suspiciously.

"What's up?" Sam asked noticing her expression.

"Something's not right," she said and took off running. Sam chased after her, passing Bobby in seconds. Bobby sped up and all three crashed into the house.

The first thing anyone noticed was the emptiness, almost as if the house had been abandoned a long time ago. Bobby pushed past Anna and Sam, stepping into his living room. "Holy hell," he muttered.

"What," Sam said walking into the room. He stopped at the mess. The room wasn't exactly squeaky clean when they left it, but it at least had enough room to walk. Now books were spread across the floor, some pages ripped and thrown around the room. Paintings that Bobby's wife had taken the time to collect, and Bobby kept as a memorabilia of her, were strewn across the room; some of the frames busted. Bobby's desk was in pieces, along with his computer.

"What the hell happened here?" Bobby muttered crouching next to a book and picking it up. It fell apart in his hands, falling to the floor.

"Cass," Anna called rushing out of the room. Sam could hear her calling throughout the bottom floor. When she returned she was alone, Castiel gone.

"Where are they?" Sam asked using all his self-control not to step forward and shake Anna.

"Don't worry Sam, we'll find them," Anna said softly. She placed her hand on his shoulder, trying to look into his blue-green eyes. He averted his gaze not wanting the angel to see tears forming in his eyes.

"Who would take them?" Bobby questioned looking around his ruined house.

"I can think of a couple things, but I'm betting on the higher angels," Anna replied.

"Higher angels? As in your bosses? Why the hell would they take Castiel and Joshua?" Bobby asked his eyes locked on Anna. She may have answered him, she might not have, either way Sam wasn't aware of the conversation. He mind was numb, the same words circling throughout it, _Dean's gone and he's never coming back_. He felt a wave of nausea hit, his mind taking him back to the four months without his brother, and quick as a flash he ran out of the room.

He rushed up the stairs, ignoring the shouts issuing from below, he just needed to be alone. He stopped, right outside the last door down Bobby's hallway, breathing heavily. In a blind rage, just wanting to stick his fist through something, he opened the door. What he saw made his jaw drop.


	5. Chapter 5

**If they were mine I would have more money now. I don't…**

_**Supernatural**_

Dean came to, white hot pain radiating from his leg and wrist, to see a familiar dark haired girl looking at him. He groaned, not wanting to see her, and said, "You're not the type of nurse I expected."

"Well, you're not exactly the ideal patient," Ruby retorted as she removed his belt. He was too weak to stop her, she could possibly do anything she wanted then and he probably wouldn't (definitely couldn't) stop her. Instead he murmured, "Making a move on an injured man is frowned upon in some societies."

"I'm making a tourniquet to stop you from bleeding to death. You have a knife wound, in case you haven't noticed…"

"I feel the pain, of course I noticed." Dean tried to hold in a gasp of pain as the demon pulled hard on the belt. Black dots were threatening to overtake him and before he could fight back they pulled him under.

When he came to again, he estimated a good five, six minutes later, he heard Ruby talking to someone. His leg was still hurting, his wrist worst, but he ignored those pains to listen to the conversation.

"…always hated you Ruby," Ava's voice said. Dean could almost hear the venom dripping off the words.

"What can I say; I have that affect on people. But, you already knew that Ava," Ruby replied sarcasm in her voice.

"Why Alastair wanted you here is beyond me." the two demons (_hell bitches more like_) were circling each other. Dean could hear their heels clicking-he never understood why woman wore heels. All they needed was one wrong step and their ankle would end up twisted or worse-they reminded him of rapid animals.

He opened his eyes, the room blurry, and lifted his head ever so slightly to see both women. As the room became clearer he saw that they both were staring daggers at each other, both looked like they were about to start fighting.

"Alastair likes me, I guess," Ruby replied lightly. Even if her voice was casual her expression was murderous, but not as murderous as Ava's, who possessed the brunette again. _God, bitch, you are worse than any normal woman. They change clothes, you change bodies. What next, you'll be a red head?_

"Alastair hates you. He's probably going to kill you; I still say he should have killed you when he last had you. Why he didn't…? You have been corrupted Ruby, helping scum like the Winchesters."

"Who else would I help? You?" Dean could hear the laugh in Ruby's voice. Even though he hated her, couldn't stand her to the ends of the earth, he had to respect her.

"We could have taken the world together. You, me, Joshua… but no, you went on your 'save the humans' crusade and Joshua joined forces with the angels…"

"Oh, is Ava pissed off because everyone abandoned her? Grow up, already. You've been alive for, what, three hundred years."

"Ruby don't push me, I really am not in the mood."

"What are you going to do? Going to kill me?" Ruby stopped her back to Dean. "Bring it on, Ava. I dare you." Ava let out a scream and tackled Ruby. Both girls landed on Dean, right on his injured leg, his scream mixed with theirs and he was out.

When he came to a third time, his head spinning and feeling like he was going to puke, he heard screams. There was an unmistakable sound of someone hitting flesh, and then Ruby exclaimed, "Keep hitting me, I dare you." To which Ava screamed again, and-what it sounded like to Dean ears-kicked Ruby in the ribs. Before he could hear what else was about to happen, his leg throbbed in enough pain to send him under a forth time.

When he resurfaced again, it was to someone saying, "Ava, calm down." Dean opened his heavy eyelids, the room blurry and not getting any clearer any time soon, to see Ava getting pulled out of the room by two big demons. She was screaming in Latin, words that Dean didn't quite know the meaning to but thought might be swear words.

The two demons yanked Ava out the door, slamming it behind her. Dean wasn't sure what happened to Ruby, didn't really have the energy to sit up and find out, but still had enough to say, "Are you okay?"

There was silence for a good two minutes, and then a familiar voice said very weakly, "Never piss that bitch off." Ruby pushed herself to her feet, staggering over to Dean. She dropped right at the edge of the cot, leaning her head back to rest on the mattress. Dean couldn't quite see her, but he had a feeling she wasn't in any shape to help him. Nor was he in any shape to help her.

"You know," he commented, figuring if he kept talking he wouldn't pass out again, "if you guys had mud that would be a hell of a show." He was smirking, just thinking of two she-demons mud wrestling. It would have been a show, one that Sam would have scoffed at but still would have enjoyed. _The kid is a perve; it runs in the Winchester blood_. He was remembering when he and his dad, about a year after Sam left for college, were running a job in Washington… _That bartender was one hellava…_

"You're a pervert," Ruby said quietly, bringing Dean back to reality.

"What, it is a manly goal in life. To see two women mud wrestle; preferably naked but bikinis are okay…"

"Please shut up," Ruby snapped her breathing labored.

"Fine, I'll shut up. Jeez, it's not like I asked you to be the model…"

"Dean." Her voice was full of warning. That's all Dean needed was to be knocked out by an injured demon. It was bad enough Alastair's kid was knocking the crap out of him.

"I'd help you out, but I'm pretty much down," Dean muttered as the room spun again just to prove his point.

"It's fine…" Ruby replied less scorn in her voice than normal. It was a nice change, to not have a demon threatening him. Almost relaxing.

"So, what'd she do to you?" Dean asked still trying to stay awake. The black dots were threatening to take over again and, even though he wouldn't admit it, he was afraid of where he'd wake up next. If Ava would take advantage of his unconsciousness. The thought of it sent a shiver up his spine and made the room spin again.

"She didn't do much. Probably broke a couple ribs, I think my nose it broken… I'll have a few bruises, but who cares. I'll be fine in a few hours; demons have a higher healing rate than humans."

"You'll be fine, but what about that body? I mean, that girl had to of gone through hell…"

"Relax, Winchester, this girl was brain dead when I took over her. Your baby bro wouldn't talk to me unless I took over a body close to death. Too bad you were already dead; I could have used you…"

"Uh, no thanks. You two always flirting, I couldn't stomach it," Dean murmured pushing the image out of his head.

"I was kidding. I couldn't be you. The smell alone would kill me."

"I would take the bait, but I feel like shit so whatever."

"Yeah, well, I'm tired too, so we'll call a truce for now," Ruby commented. She hadn't moved her head an inch, her hair brushing Dean's arm. He would have moved his arm, but it was much better just to stay still.

"Fine, truce." He felt himself slipping again and he knew no amount of talking would keep him conscious for long but he could try. "So, Ava is really three-hundred years old?"

"Give or take, I have no idea. I only knew her for a short time when we were younger."

"How old are you?" Dean asked curiously, the black dots were back but he was fighting them.

"Old enough," Ruby replied evasively.

"What did Ava mean about Joshua joining forces with the angels? Who the hell is this Josh guy? Her boyfriend?"

"No, her brother," Ruby said her voice sounding weaker than normal. She was slipping like Dean was.

"Alastair has a son?" Dean wasn't that shocked, of course Alastair had a son. Ava couldn't be his only twisted offspring.

"Yeah, he's the oldest."

"And he joined up with the angels?"

"Yeah, it was the worst day of Alastair's life."

"Why would he do that?" Dean was actually thinking of Sam, who had left the family just to go to college. Not that his favorite hobby was to compare his family to demons, but that's what came to mind. _I wonder, like Sam, if Josh can be pulled back into hell_.

"I don't know. You'd have to ask Ava or Alastair."

"Yeah, I really want to share family history with demons who want me dead," Dean said under his breath. Ruby chuckled softly, which turned into a cough.

"You gonna live?" Dean asked when she finally cut off after several moments. Instead of answering Ruby groaned slightly and slipped to the floor, her head leaving the cot.

"Ruby?" no answer. _Great, it's just me, myself, and I. _The black dots were back and without a distraction he couldn't fight them anymore. With one final effort, which was a weak attempt, he tried to fight back. He lost and the darkness engulfed him.


	6. Chapter 6

**I own nothing…**

_**Supernatural**_

Three days, it had been three days since Dean had been taken, and Sam was like a caged animal. He kept to himself; in the spare bedroom they kept Cass's unconscious form. Sam kept going back to when he opened the door, when he found Castiel in a comatose state lying across the bed. Anna had tried and tried to wake him up, but whoever took Joshua made sure Cass couldn't tell them what Josh may or may not have told him. Sam wasn't going to leave until the angel woke up, if he woke up. _No, he will wake up. Dean's life depends on him waking up_.

"Sam, Bobby wants you to eat something," Anna said from the doorway. He never heard her arrival, she was like a vampire, nor did he acknowledge her presence.

"Sam, you need to eat," Anna repeated crossing the room to stand next to him.

"Not until he wakes up and tells me where Dean is," Sam said tonelessly, sitting against the wall in the same position he'd been in for the past three hours.

"But Joshua may not have told Cass where Dean is."

"Then why's he unconscious Anna? Why did the angels or whatever knock Cass out if he didn't know? Answer me that." Sam didn't mean to get snippy with Anna, but he had to siphon his anger somewhere.

"Look, Pamela will be here in a few hours. Maybe she can tell us," Anna said with understanding in her voice. She had a soft spot for Dean, Sam knew it, and she wanted to see him back just as much as Sam did.

"What can Pamela do, honestly?" Sam asked his eyes drifting to the floor. The psychic was good, Sam gave her that, but she wasn't that good. She was too stubborn, a stubbornness that lost her, her eyesight.

"Maybe she can tell us what's up with Cass. I don't really know which is shocking." Anna settled down on the floor, next to Sam. She looked over at Castiel, who looked just like a normal man in sleep.

"Maybe she can't," Sam muttered darkly.

"Are you giving up? You of all people, Sam?" Anna sounded genuinely surprised.

"Why would you even think about asking me something like that? I would never, ever give up on Dean. I'm not like the angels." Sam glared at the angel, but still couldn't be entirely mad at her. The way he was speaking, and thinking, told him his subconscious was giving up.

"Then have some faith in Pamela. She helped me figure out who I was. She may be able to help you figure out where Dean is." Anna pushed herself to her feet, still staring at the hunter. "I still think you should eat something."

Sam grunted his response, both about faith in Pamela and the suggestion of eating something, and leaned his head against the wall.

"Sam, we'll find your brother. Don't worry," Anna said from the doorway. Sam merely looked at her, but she was gone. _A freaking vampire; just like a freaking vampire_.

_**SUPERNATURAL**_

"Sam," Ruby heard the weak voice say. He had been calling his brother for an hour, his dad before that. Ruby never thought she'd see Dean Winchester this way, so vulnerable and scared. If she didn't need Sam she wouldn't bat an eye at killing the young hunter. Instead she got up on her knees, her ribs screaming in protest, and ran a hand through Dean's sweaty hair.

"Shh, Shh, you're okay," she murmured still stroking his heated forehead.

"I'm sorry, Sammy. I tried to keep you safe," the delirious hunter whispered. His eyes were open, glassy green pupils looking directly at Ruby, but not really seeing her.

"You did keep him safe," Ruby said softly. His sweat was drenching her hand, but she knew that contact was the only thing keeping the hunter calm. He mumbled something else then drifted off again, his eyes closing.

His fever had spiked the day before. She didn't have an exact way of telling, but if Ruby had to guesstimate she'd say it was a few degrees over 100. She knew that wasn't the ideal temperature, but she had no way of treating him.

She checked on his leg, loosening the tourniquet to get a closer look. Blood started leaking out of the wound, covering his jeans. Ruby ignored it, pulling the fabric away from the wound. Infection hadn't quite set in, yet, but the wound was inflamed. _Only a matter of time_, Ruby thought pulling the belt tight again, but not as tight as before.

She moved onto the wrist. That was swollen, worse than when he first received it, three days before. Ruby wished she had a way to treat it, but when she banged on the door, asking for something to help the hunter, the door merely opened and a huge demon pushed her to the ground. _"Strict orders from the boss, not allowed to help the hunter_." That was all the demon said before slamming the door again.

"You know something, Winchester. For someone who wants you as bait, I'm surprised Alastair is doing so little to help you," Ruby muttered pulling her hand away from Dean's sweaty forehead. She sat on the floor, pulling her knees painfully to her chest.

"And how, Ruby, do you know I'm using him as bait," a portentous voice said from the door. Ruby's eyes flicked over to the sound and saw Alastair staring directly at her. He had changed bodies from the last time she saw him.

"Well, you just told me and I kind of figured," Ruby replied getting painfully to her feet. Her ribs still hurt a bit after Ava's beating. Not enough to slow her down, but enough to make her take notice when she did simple things: like move.

"You were always a smart ass," Alastair muttered. He had something in his hands that Ruby didn't notice before. It was a green sack, slightly smaller than the one Ruby seen Dean and Sam use for their weapons.

"What's that?" Ruby asked nodding toward the bag.

"What you asked for," Alastair replied simply and threw the bag on the floor at Ruby's feet.

"I thought you didn't want to help him."

"I can't have him dying, now can I? Without him I'll never get Castiel."

"What could you possibly want with that angel? You can't kill him."

"You don't have to remind me, Ruby, I know," Alastair said trying and failing to hide his irritation. His face was impassive, his voice back in control, when he said, "I think Castiel would be a great way for Lucifer to start out his reign. Killing that angel, the one who pulled the most wanted hunter out of hell, would be the greatest gift to give him."

"I doubt Lucifer gives a rat's ass about Dean getting pulled out of hell. He'll probably just kill him in passing, not really giving him a second glance," Ruby muttered nonchalantly.

"Maybe. It'll probably be the little Winchester he wants. Sammy," Alastair said. "I could have had him here, too, but my daughter had a soft spot for the kid. She sensed some potential in Sam, something that Dean holds him back from. Something you've been helping him bring out. Besides, the other side probably wouldn't bat an eyelash for him; it's this Winchester they want." Alastair ran a hand thought Dean's drenched hair. "Don't let him die, Ruby. We can't have that." Alastair wiped Dean's sweat off his hand, onto the hunter's torn shirt, and walked toward the door.

"Why? Dead or alive I doubt the angels will come for him," Ruby replied regretting opening her mouth.

"Because he needs to live up to his potential, too," Alastair replied not even turning around, his hand still on the door. "You should have seen him, Ruby, down in the pit. He was a natural, he really was, and when he pulls his head out of the clouds he'll realize it was his true calling: torturing souls." And with those words ringing in the air Alastair left, closing the huge metal door with a loud bang.


	7. Chapter 7

**Still don't own them. Still sad about that, too**

_**Supernatural**_

Bobby pulled up to his house, Pamela looking up at it. She couldn't see it with her eyes, but she could see it in another way. Her eyes-or lack there of-were locked on the window where Castiel and Sam were sitting.

"He's stubborn, I'll give him that," Pamela said softly.

"Sam?" Bobby asked curiously looking up at the window, too.

"Him too," Pamela replied and opened the door. Bobby rushed out of his car, jogging around the vehicle to help her.

"Don't help me, Singer. I can maneuver fine without you." Pamela pushed Bobby slightly and started toward the house. Bobby ignored her words and stuck close to her. When he tried to help her up the stairs he actually thought she was going to kick him.

The door was open before they could reach it, Anna waiting for them. Pamela glanced at the angel and said, "Hello, Anna."

"Hey, Pamela," Anna said softly closing the door once Bobby and the psychic crossed the threshold. "Thanks for helping."

"Don't mention it. So, Dean has been captured by demons? That must be rough on him, back in the clutches of the people who pretty much screwed him up. Sam upstairs then?" before either Anna or Bobby could reply, Pamela started up the steps. They quickly followed her up the stairs, straight down the hall to the last room.

Pamela opened the door like she could see it and crossed the threshold. She glanced over at Sam, who had just gotten to his feet, and said, "Stubborn like your old man, Grumpy." Before the hunter could reply she walked over to the bed, sitting next to Castiel's still form. She laid her hand on his head, really concentrating, and then said, "This isn't Castiel."

The room was filled with a silence so long that Bobby was sure he had gone deaf. Finally, Sam broke the silence by saying, "Are you freaking kidding me?"

"Nope, this is not Castiel. This is another angel," Pamela replied a little irritated. Bobby knew she hated people questioning her abilities.

"Joshua?" Anna asked quietly.

"Bingo," Pamela responded with a nod. Her hand was still on his head, still reading him. "When another angel came for him… Uriel…"

"What a dick," Sam muttered and Anna nodded in agreement.

"When Uriel came to take Joshua back," Pamela continued as if Sam hadn't interrupted her, "Josh switched bodies with Castiel at the last minute. Uriel put Castiel in this coma like state, hoping the angel wouldn't tell you guys where Dean was."

"Can you?" Sam asked trying to sound less eager than he was. Bobby had to give the kid credit, he almost pulled it off.

"One second," Pamela murmured and started humming under her breath. Bobby could see her lips moving, but couldn't make out what she was saying. Then she was thrown from the bed, slamming into the wall. Her sunglasses fell off her face, sliding across the floor.

"PAMELA," Bobby, Anna, and Sam said at the same time as they rushed to her side. She pulled herself up, glaring at the angel's still form. Anna collected her glasses handing them back to the psychic. "Thanks," Pamela said putting them back on.

"What happened?" Bobby asked cautiously.

"They tried to block Dean's position from me," Pamela replied still glaring at the angel. "Some stupid defense mechanism, but I broke it. I got a flash of Dean's position before they interrupted me."

"Where is he?" Sam questioned his hazel eyes giving her the vulnerable puppy dog look. _That's completely pointless_, Bobby thought, _she can't see them._

"I saw a bomb shelter. You know one of those old ones that people built under their houses," Pamela replied in a softer voice. She was responding to the puppy dog look even if she couldn't physically see it.

"A bomb shelter," Bobby muttered trying to think where their might be one in South Dakota. Then it clicked, he knew of only one shelter close by. "There is one," he said getting everyone's attention. He took a deep breath and said, "There was this guy, named Henry McFarlen, lived about ten miles from me, who was convinced that Y2K was going to be the end of the world…"

"Where are you going with this, Bobby?" Sam asked receiving a glare from Bobby and a snarled, "Don't interrupt me, boy." Sam rolled his eyes but allowed Bobby to continue, "Anyway, he was so convinced the world was gonna end that he built a bomb shelter in his back yard. Why he did it was beyond me, I mean if the world ended it'd take the earth with him…"

"Bobby," Sam said breaking off the older hunter's rant.

"Well, as you know the world didn't end. Unfortunately, Henry McFarlen's life did, three years ago. They demolished his house, but kept the shelter as a memorabilia of him. Maybe the demons are keeping Dean there."

"Let's go," Sam said the words barely out of Bobby's mouth. He flew out of the room, racing down the stairs calling, "You don't hurry up I'm going myself."

Anna and Bobby exchanged a quick glance, stuck in a mirrored awe. It wasn't until Pamela said, "Go after him before he gets himself killed," that they broke out of their trances and chased after him. "I'll stay with angel boy," Pamela called after them before they flew down the stairs and out the door. They piled in the Impala, Bobby in the backseat, Anna next to Sam.

Sam already had the car running and once Anna slammed the door he peeled out of the salvage yard's parking lot, sending dust clouds into the air.

_**SUPERNATURAL**_

Ruby was dozing on the floor, glad to know Dean had finally gone to sleep, when the door opened. She sat up, looking at the demon walking toward them. "Oh, come on, he's been through enough…" she started to say, but the demon cut her off by saying, "Not him, you." he pulled her to her feet and half dragged, half carried her out of the room. She couldn't help but notice he had a couple of burn marks on his skin, but she refrained from asking as the door closed behind her and her escort.

Ruby had the right mind to use her powers on the demon, but she wasn't sure how many of the demons she could take out before she was taken out herself. Keeping in mind that if she died her plans would be wasted, she kept her fight and flight plans at bay.

The demon led her down a short hallway, passing two doors before they reached the end of the hall. He threw open the door, shoved her in, and slammed the door. Ruby looked around the seemingly empty room. There were chains on the wall, a puddle of blood underneath them. Not far from the chains was a table full of tools, tools that were no doubt used to torture Dean-_and anyone else_, Ruby thought thinking about herself. Her eyes swept past the tools across the room, to rest on someone she didn't see before.

Alastair stood by a small tub of water, wearing the weirdest thing she had ever seen. He was in a black raincoat, a pair of rain boots on his feet, a pair of gloves on his hands, and a face shield on his head, pulled up so it wasn't covering his face quite, yet.

"What the hell are you wearing?" Ruby asked honestly curious. She'd never think Alastair would be the type to wear something so ridiculous.

"Just a precaution," Alastair replied and raised his hand. Ruby found that she was unable to move stuck just standing in the middle of the room. Alastair crossed what little space they had and grabbed her arm. He easily pulled her across the room, her immobility really ticking her off.

He stopped by the tub, a huge smile on his otherwise humorless face, and pushed the shield over his head. Ruby felt a sense of foreboding creeping up her back but couldn't do much about it. Then she realized why Alastair was wearing the strange getup, why he was acting the way he was, why that lackey had burn marks all over his skin. He dunked her into the water and it burnt beyond compare, the holy water getting in her mouth and making it instantly burn and dry out.

Alastair pulled her head out of the water, chuckling slightly as she let loose a string of coughing. "Ava wanted to do this herself, but I didn't want her to kill you too quickly." He then dunked her again; it stung worse the second time. Blood coated the water, the fluid swirling around the clear liquid as he pulled her out. The rusty taste filled her mouth making her gag.

"I never liked you, Ruby. It is as simple as that. You were an annoyance before you broke away from us, and you still are. I'm beginning to actually wonder why I bothered keeping you alive." He dunked Ruby a third time, making her vision blur slightly as water got in her eyes. She tried blinking the stinging liquid out of her eyes, but it only made it sting more.

"I just want to see you dead, just so I don't have to worry…" a loud gunshot rang out, causing Alastair to drop Ruby to the floor. He backed away from her, rushing out of the room. Ruby tried to pull herself up, to see what was going on, but she felt too weak to move. The holy water screwed with her in ways that not only sucked but made sure she couldn't do anything. Black spots were threatening to take her under, but she had to stay awake.

"Bobby, check in that room," she heard a familiar voice command bringing her back to consciousness. Then she heard another gunshot go off. Someone scream and the voice start speaking in Latin, using the exorcism he had memorized over a year ago. _Why isn't he using his powers,_ was the last conscious thought Ruby had before she blacked out.

_**SUPERNATURAL**_

Sam finished the Latin exorcism in record time, watching as black smoke erupt out of a burly guy's mouth. He didn't watch the smoke vanish as he spun around and fired a round of rock salt into the demon running at him. It fell to the ground, winded but not hurt.

"Sam, cover your eyes," Anna commanded and Sam complied quickly. He wasn't sure how powerful Anna was, how much she could do, but when she told him to open his eyes all the demons around him were down.

Anna was gone, already heading into the room Bobby disappeared into. Sam went to follow her, but someone grabbed him pulling him into a completely different room. He had just enough time to see the door slam shut before he was slammed into the ground. His shot gun flew out of his hands, skidding across the floor, just out of reach.

"I don't want to hurt you, Sam, but I will if I have to," a female voice whispered in his ear. She was sitting on his back, and when he tried to get up she slammed him back into the ground.

"Get the fuck off me," Sam snapped after trying to get up a second time.

"You're no fun," the girl said but got up. Sam pushed himself to his feet, spinning around to see a petite brunette looking at him. Her eyes swept up and down his body, a look of pure lust on her face. "I swear I can't determine who's hotter, you or your brother."

"Where's Dean," Sam snarled ignoring the demon's comment.

"Dean? I think he's dead," she replied in a casual voice.

"Where's Dean," Sam repeated feeling an icy glob of dread start to settle in his stomach and around his heart.

"I told you, dead," she said softly. "Just like you will be."

"He's not dead, I'd know," Sam exclaimed refusing to believe the demon's lies.

"He's dead. I killed him myself." Sam felt something snap. He forgot all about the fact that Bobby told him not to, all about the fact that he had the ability to exercise the demon memorized, that even Dean had begged him not to use his powers. He raised his hand, searching out for the demon holding onto the brunette girl.

"What are you…" she cut off. A look of surprise filled her face.

"Go to hell, bitch," Sam said and concentrated. He felt a slight build in the back of his skull, but he ignored it. He just had one goal and one goal only; get that demon out of his face. He kept nudging at the demon, watching black smoke start to seep out of the girl's mouth. He felt blood drip out of his nose, rolling onto his lips, but he ignored it. He just kept concentrating, kept nudging, until the demon was gone. The girl fell to the ground, pale as a ghost, but alive. Sam could see her chest rising and falling.

Sam staggered toward the door, wiping the blood off his face, and opened it. A man, wearing a pair of fishing boots, was standing just in the threshold. He took one look at the girl lying on the floor and let out a piercing scream. He pushed past Sam, dropping next to the fallen girl.

"Where's my daughter," he screamed looking directly at Sam.

"Gone, and if you don't get the hell outta here you will be too," Sam said. The guy jumped up, ready to attack Sam, but stopped mid-step. Someone had just appeared in front of him.

Joshua stood directly in front of Sam, back in his own red headed body, glaring at the man. "Go, Sam, get out of here," he said pushing Sam out the door.

"Joshua, what…"

"Get going," Joshua demanded and succeeded in getting Sam out of the room. The last thing Sam heard before the door closed was, "You don't have the guts to kill you own father, Joshua."

Sam tried to open the door, tried to help Joshua, but he must have did something because it wouldn't budge. If he hadn't realized he was wasting time he could be spending looking for Dean he would have still been trying to open the door. Instead he turned on his heel and headed down the hall, nearly running into Bobby and Anna.

Bobby was carrying Dean in his arms, his brother so still he looked dead. Sam stumbled forward, grabbing Anna's arm so he wouldn't fall. With trembling hands he touched Dean's neck, looking for a pulse. He found a sluggish one, amongst boiling skin.

"He's alive," Sam whispered trying to hold in tears.

"And burning up. We need to get him the hell outta here," Bobby said and pushed past Sam. He walked slowly with Dean's weight, but he was able to reach the exit without a problem. Sam made to follow, but Anna grabbed his arm and steered him in the direction of another door.

Ruby had just staggered out covered in blood and soaking wet. Sam was at her side in seconds, catching her before she fell. He slid his arms behind her knees and back and picked her up. He carried her toward the exit, noticing a table right next to the door piled high with Dean's stuff. His leather jacket was there, along with his amulet, his bracelet, watch, ring, knife, gun, and phone. Anna collected all the stuff and followed Sam out of the shelter, closing the door behind her.


	8. Chapter 8

**Sole rights to the Winchesters, Bobby, Cass, or anyone remotely recognizable belong to Eric Kripke, and not me. Yeah, I know, it sucks.**

_**Supernatural**_

Sleeping in the hospital chairs were never Sam's favorite thing to do. He was too tall, could never find a comfortable position, and always woke up in pain. He was doing exactly what he hated when Bobby walked into the room. He had his legs resting on the foot of Dean's bed, deeply asleep, but when Bobby shut the door he jerked awake.

"Hey," he said putting his feet back on the floor and straightened up. Bobby crossed the room, handing Sam one of the two coffees he held. Instead of drinking the hot liquid, Sam set it on the nightstand and looked over at Dean.

"He wake up at all," Bobby asked curiously, perching on the edge of Dean's bed.

"I thought he did, but it was a false alarm."

"Well, Ruby did wake up," Bobby said after a few moments of silence. He took a sip of his coffee and said, "She wants to see you."

"She can hold her fucking horses," Sam murmured not taking his eyes off Dean. His tone softened when he continued with, "What about Cass?"

"The angel's awake, too. A pain in the ass, but awake."

Sam couldn't help smiling, but it faded when he thought about the other angel. "And Joshua…" since last seeing the angel, Sam hadn't heard anything about him. He didn't know if he had taken care of Alastair or if he had been killed. As he wasn't technically a full blooded angel, he probably could still die by a demon's hand. Sam would never admit it, but he felt a little guilty about Joshua's disappearance. If he had just taken care of Alastair when he saw him, then Joshua would be there now.

"He's still missing," Bobby replied. "And don't you blame yourself for that." Second to Dean, Bobby had always been good at reading Sam. No matter how many times he tried to mask something, the older hunter always saw right through it.

"If I just did something…" Sam let his voice trail off when he caught the glare from Bobby. To have something to do with his hands, he grabbed his coffee and took a drink.

"There was nothing you could do," Bobby said softly. "Nothing to stop what Joshua wanted. He's a grown guy; he chose what he wanted…"

"Save the 'you can't save everyone' speech, Bobby. I've heard it enough already, hell I've given it," Sam murmured bitterly. The words were barely out of his mouth when he heard an almost inaudible groan coming from Dean's bed. Sam sprang to his feet, rushing to Dean's bedside. Blurry green eyes looked back at him for a second before they took on a look of pure panic.

"Dean…" Sam started sounding worried. Dean's eyes widened and he managed to gasp out, "Get away from me." He tried to sit up, tried to spring out of bed, but weakness and the IV kept him in place. Sam tried to put a restraining, yet comforting hand on Dean's chest but his older brother just recoiled, shrinking into the bed.

"I'm going to get a doctor," Bobby said and rushed out of the room. Sam didn't watch him go, still trying to calm his clearly distraught brother down.

"Dean calm down, you're not with him anymore. You're at the hospital," Sam tried to say; trying to keep calm himself, but the panicked look in Dean's eyes was starting to scare him slightly.

"H…he's screwing with my h…head," Dean stammered out. He was shaking like crazy, which was so unlike the strong, cocky big brother Sam knew.

"No," Sam said lowering the safety rail on the bed and crawling into it. "You are at the hospital." Dean tried, halfheartedly, to shrink away some more. Sam could see the uncertainty still in Dean's eyes, but it wasn't as pronounced as before.

"A…are you…" Dean's voice trailed off as he looked around. He took in the room, his green eyes darting from one thing to another, and slowly his breathing regulated, his shaking ceased, and he looked slightly less frantic.

"Are you okay?" Sam asked still sitting on the bed.

"Yeah, I think," Dean replied then a look of pain crossed his face. The look startled Sam, but he quickly understood when he realized his brother had moved his injured leg. "Be careful of your leg," Sam started, "they had fix it up."

"Why…? Dean cut off when an image of a knife going into his leg hit him. The image sent a second one, of a hammer slamming into his wrist. He looked down at the brace around the appendage. He then noticed the cuts, all twenty-six perfect cuts-thirteen on each arm-running down his arms. That sent another image running through his brain, a smiling blond holding a knife and cutting him.

"Where's Ava?" Dean asked slightly panicking again. Sam blanched but didn't say anything. Before Dean could question his brother a man walked in, wearing blue scrubs and a lab coat, followed by Bobby. The guy was holding a syringe full of a clear liquid.

"He's okay, that's not necessary," Sam said sliding back onto the floor. Dean moved back to the middle of the bed, grimacing when he pulled on some of the stitches in his legs.

The doctor gave Sam a quick glance and said, "Let me be the judge of that." He moved toward Dean, who flinched slightly but didn't freak out, and said, "Do you know where you are?"

"Hospital," Dean replied. The doctor nodded, setting the syringe on the side table. He went to pull Dean's blankets away from his injured leg. The hunter pulled back slightly, making the doctor stop suddenly. He raised his hands and said, "Just checking your leg. Relax," he said.

Dean nodded, allowing the doctor to continue his inspection. "Your leg should heal nicely; just give it a couple weeks. The wrist is what worries me. If you ask me, demons should not be allowed to carry tools. It was a hammer that did the damage, right?"

"W…what?" Dean said completely taken off guard.

"Doc Palmer is a friend of mine," Bobby said quickly. "He's been in the loop for about twenty-two years. He's the one that patched us up if we needed it…"

"You're being too modest, Bobby. I can think of a few times that I needed patching up myself," Palmer said finishing up his inspection of Dean. He moved away from the young hunter, allowing him to pull the blankets back around his legs.

"How long have I been out," Dean asked breaking up the light conversation. He was still slightly freaked, recent events kept replaying in his head making his stomach clench just thinking about it.

"A day," Palmer responded his eyes snapping back to Dean. "We had to repair several blood vessels in your leg from where the knife stabbed you… It was a knife, right? It looked like a knife." Dean answered him by nodding. "Then we had to repair your wrist bone. The hammer practically crushed it which took a lot of work. As long as you don't strain the bone too much in the next couple of weeks I can say it'll be okay. Not to its usual standards by a long shot but useable.

"Other than that, you're fine." There was something in the doctor's eyes that caught Sam's attention. He was concealing something from them. So, as he walked out of the room Sam excused himself, getting a slightly disappointed look from Dean, and hurriedly followed Palmer out of the room.

"Dr. Palmer," Sam called causing the doctor to turn around. He closed Dean's door and caught up to the doctor.

"Yeah, Sam."

"You're hiding something," Sam said expecting the doctor to start lying. To say that there was nothing to hide, that Dean was fine. Instead, Palmer muttered, "Physically your brother is going to be fine. I'm more worried about his mental and emotional state."

"What?"

"Look," Palmer continued lowering his voice more, "Bobby told me what Dean went through. How he spent his summer. And that had to be bad enough." Sam knew for a fact it was bad, Dean had taken to drinking himself to sleep half the time and the other half he ended up waking up, after two hours of sleep, from nightmares. It was enough to scare Sam slightly, even making him push Dean to talk about it. When Dean finally did, it was like Sam was talking to another person. Not the strong-willed, waterworks are kryptonite brother but someone who felt so bad about what he did that he couldn't help the emotional breakdown.

"But," Palmer said breaking into Sam's thoughts, "recent events probably stirred up even more memories that he has tried to suppress."

"So, what, are you afraid he's going to have some psychotic breakdown?" Sam couldn't take seeing his brother like that again. Dean didn't deserve to have all these memories that he couldn't escape all because Sam was an idiot and turned his back on an enemy. Cold Oak should never have happened, if Sam had just killed Jake the first chance he had…

"Just keep an eye on him," Palmer said bringing Sam back to reality again. "Don't push him to talk about it either. He'll come to you when he's ready. Okay, Sam?"

"Yeah," Sam mumbled. He turned his back on Palmer and walked back into Dean's room, the doctor's words reeling around in his head.

_**SUPERNATURAL**_

Ruby hadn't been happy to be blown off by Sam. She wanted to ask him a couple questions, see why he was so reluctant to use his powers, find out what happened to Ava. Problem was she was unable to make it out to the hallway of Bobby's house without almost collapsing let alone get to the hospital where Sam was. So, she was stuck at the old guy's house until Sam came to see her.

It wasn't until Dean was released from the hospital and brought back to Bobby's that Sam even stepped foot into the room she was in.

Ruby was lying back on the bed, staring at the ceiling and counting the tiles again, when there was a knock. She sat up in time to see Sam walk into the room. He looked tired, more like he did when Dean had first died.

"Dean back?" Ruby asked curiously as Sam sat down in a chair, away from her bed.

"Yeah, he's asleep right now. The pain pills they gave him knocked him out," Sam replied averting his eyes from Ruby. She could tell he knew what she wanted to talk about, he always knew. It was like he could read her mind.

"Look…" she started.

"At first I didn't use my powers because there was no point," Sam interrupted seemingly trying to get the worst over. "I mean, I know the exorcism ritual like the back of my hand, so I decided to just use that. Then Anna used her power to extract the other demons…"

"What do you mean 'at first,'" Ruby asked curiously.

"Ava, well she said something that kinda made me snap," Sam said his words tumbling out of his mouth. "She told me Dean was dead, you know. I mean, I couldn't accept that, he couldn't be dead. I'd know if he was. But she kept insisting he was dead, so I…"

"…used your powers," Ruby finished for him. Sam nodded his eyes glued to the floor. "Well, it was the right thing to do. Ava was a crazy bitch anyway; there was no point in letting her live. Plus, you need to hone your skills. Doing away with Ava was one way…"

"Is that all you care about? Me honing my skills?" Sam exclaimed jumping to his feet. "I mean, come on Ruby, Dean almost died. Joshua could be dead. And all you can say is 'you need to hone your skills.' Maybe I don't give a damn about these fucking powers anymore. They've just brought bad luck for me…"

"But you've saved so many lives. I mean, it beats the alternative. That exorcism just ends up killing the victim half the time. With your powers…"

"Save your breath, Ruby. I don't care right now." And with that Sam stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Ruby lay back, knowing for a fact that Sam would be back, he needed her and those powers. As much as he wouldn't admit it, even to himself, he did. With a small smile on her face, she swung her legs back onto the bed and closed her eyes. _One more hour of rest and I'll be good as new_, she thought and drifted off to sleep.

_**SUPERNATURAL**_

_ Blood: that was the first thing he saw. He couldn't understand why he was standing in a room full of blood. Then he tried to move, but couldn't, his wrists were chained to a wall._

_ "No, no, no, not a good time to try and get away," a familiar voice said and Alastair appeared right in front of him._

_ "I…I'm dreaming," Dean croaked out. Sam had told him he had escaped Alastair that he wasn't in danger anymore. If that was even Sam, it could have been a figment of Dean's imagination. A way to cope with the stress of being in Alastair's clutches._

_ "Oh, you are far from dreaming, Dean," Alastair murmured smirking. He had a hatchet in his hand, the blade already stained with blood. Dean felt his heart speed up, his body start to shake.  
"So, you want to hear my offer again? It hasn't changed much since our time in hell together. Remember the fun?"_

_ "Get away from me with that," Dean snapped, ignoring Alastair's plan at bringing up old memories, trying to pull away._

_ "Do you want to torture souls again? Hell, it won't even be souls anymore. It'll be actual people, a lot more fun right?"_

_ "Get away from me," Dean repeated angrily._

_ "I'll take that as a no," Alastair said softly and brought the hatchet down_…

Before it hit Dean, he jerked awake. Sitting up too quickly made his stomach roll over. He was out of bed quickly, racing to the bathroom.

He threw up in the toilet, something he hadn't been resorted to since before he told Sam about hell. When the contents of his stomach were floating around the porcelain puke bucket, Dean painfully pushed himself to his feet and flushed the toilet. He walked over to the sink, gripping both sides with his hands. Pain went through his left arm, making him let go of the sink.

Instead of looking at his reflection, seeing the pale, freckly, green eyed face staring back at him, he turned the water on and rinsed his mouth out. He spit the water back into the sink and turned the faucet off.

"Are you okay?" a voice said from behind him. He spun around, grimacing in pain as the sudden movement pulled on his injured leg. Sam was standing in the doorway, arms crossed, looking worried.

"Yeah," Dean replied shakily. He closed the lid on the toilet and sat down. Putting his elbows on his knees, resting his chin in his palms, he mumbled, "No."

"I kinda figured," Sam replied pulling a knife out of the pocket of his sweats. He tossed it on the sink counter and crossed the bathroom. He sat down on the edge of the tub, silently waiting for Dean to continue.

"You ever feel like we need a vacation," Dean asked suddenly. "You know, just escaping the demons, the angels, everything and just relaxing."

"That would be great, but you know we can't do that," Sam responded softly.

"Yeah, so much for wishful thinking," Dean muttered. "So, Cass have any luck finding Joshua?" Dean had to sit through endless talk about what happened when he was gone. He wasn't surprised, nor was he happy, about hearing how helpful the angels were. He didn't exactly like Joshua-just like Sam predicted-but had a little respect for him and his attempted rule breaking. Both brothers marveled on how Alastair's son teamed up with the angels, but they were about as clueless as anyone could get.

"Nope, no one seems to be able to find him," Sam said quietly. He was staring at the ground, trying to hide his guilt ridden eyes.

"And Alastair and his demented offspring…"

"I don't know about Alastair, but Ava won't be able to hurt anyone, including you, anymore." Sam looked up, wearing a look so serious he reminded Dean of their dad for a moment.

"What do you mean," Dean asked totally confused. Then he caught on, "You used your powers, didn't you?"

"Yeah," Sam mumbled.

"Well, that's just super. That's all we need is Uriel coming to get you. It's not a secret that he doesn't like you. Hell, if he had free reign he'd probably…"

"Yeah, Dean, I got it. It's just, she was telling me you were dead and I sorta…"

"…snapped," Dean finished for him. Sam nodded looking down at the floor. "Look, slip up or not you can't use your powers…"

"I don't plan to, it's too much hassle," Sam replied quietly, looking up at his brother again.

"You tell Ruby this?" Sam nodded. "I bet she had a field day with that."

"I guess," Sam muttered. They sat in silence for a few seconds. Then Sam laughed suddenly causing Dean to look up.

"What?"

"Nothing," Sam said trying not to smile.

"Seriously, come on," Dean pressed now really wanting to know what made their "heart-felt moment" funny.

"It's just… You and Ruby in the same room, for three days. I'm surprised you didn't kill each other," Sam said getting a small smile from Dean.

"Hey, I was unconscious for half of that. I would have killed her if I could have." Sam smiled and shook his head. "But seriously, she helped me when no one else would. I gotta say, I hate the bitch but she's useful when you need her." Dean looked up in time to see his brother's face shift from an expression he couldn't determine to a blank mask. Instead of questioning his brother on it he just got to his feet, groaning in pain when the sudden movement pulled his stitches.

"I don't know about you, but I'm hungry. Wanna go raid Bobby's fridge." And with those words ringing in the air Dean limped out of the bathroom. It wasn't a huge emotional breakdown like on the side of the road, but Sam had a feeling that Dean had opened up again and was going to be okay. _For the time being_, Sam thought as he rolled his eyes, got to his feet, and followed his brother out of the room.


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks for reading, I would love to hear what you think, and I still don't own these boys.**

_**Supernatural**_

"This is pissing me off," Dean complained a week later. He was sitting in the passenger seat, sulking because he couldn't drive. Sam rolled his eyes and said, "Look, as long as you're still on your pain meds you shouldn't be driving."

"Oh, come on. You just want to drive," Dean snapped crossing his arms. He regretted it when he pressed on his hurt wrist. He pulled his arms apart, sticking them to his side.

"Yeah, that's why," Sam responded sarcastically.

"You boys act like you're teenagers again," Bobby said from the porch.

"Bet you wish we were teenagers, old man," Dean cracked getting a small chuckle from Bobby and an eye roll from Sam.

"Don't be strangers guys," Bobby said as Sam got in the car. "You know you two are always welcome."

"Yeah, we know," both Winchesters said at the same time.

"I'll keep an eye out for any hunts for you two."

"Thanks Bobby," Sam muttered. Before Dean rolled up his window Bobby nodded and said, "Anytime."

They rolled out of the scrap yard, waving at Bobby. Once he was out of sight, they travelled down the street in silence for a while. Dean flicking through the radio stations, while Sam tried to ignore the music.

"Still sulking over that missing angel," Dean asked curiously turning the radio off after finding nothing to listen to.

"I'm not sulking. It's just, he's been missing for over a week," Sam muttered.

"Yeah, so. I don't see Cass half the time, but I don't sulk over it. All the better when the angels are out of the way." Sam glanced over at his brother, wondering if he was fully telling the truth or not. Next to Sam, Castiel knew a crap load about Dean. _And according to Cass, they share some stupid bond, too_, Sam thought bitterly. He never thought he'd feel so jealous toward an angel. Castiel not only did what Sam couldn't, but he also knew a lot about Dean before Sam did. _How is that fair._

"Besides, maybe Joshua took care of Alastair. Maybe…"

"No, he didn't," a deep voice said almost causing Sam to crash the car. Castiel sat in the back seat, calmly looking out the window. Dean spun around, his heart beating as fast as a humming bird, and said, "Do I need to get you a bell?"

Ignoring Dean's comment Sam said, "What do you mean?"

"He didn't take care of Alastair," Castiel muttered. "He tried, I'll give him that, but he didn't succeed."

"W…what happened to him?"

"I don't know," Castiel replied looking up at the ceiling, "but I don't think it was good. He might have been killed, or he's in Alastair's clutches again. Either way, we won't be able to help him."

"But… but he's on your side. A…aren't you…"

"Sam," Dean interrupted.

"No, aren't you supposed to help him?"

"We've done all we can to find him, but if Alastair doesn't want him to be found, we won't find him. I just thought you'd want to know." And then he was gone, the car about as silent as his departure.

Dean tried to spark up a conversation after a few moments, trying to keep Sam's mind off of the information they just learned, but it didn't work. So, after a few moments of one sided dialogue he just gave up.

Silently the Impala drove down the road, its destination undecided and its fate unknown. Until it drove into the next town it wouldn't find out. Before then, it just drove past the '_Now Leaving South Dakota'_ sign and past the state line…

END…


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